Improving Paragraphs Tutorial Introduction In most standardized exams, when it comes to improving paragraphs, you'll be asked to do one of three things: decide what additional information will improve the argument made within the essay; choose the answer which best rewrites and combines parts of two separate sentences; and choose where in the essay a particular sentence should go. Read Carefully The first thing you should do is to carefully read the passage and absorb the information. As you read, try your best to figure out exactly what the student who wrote the essay intended to say. If you understand the author's objective, it will make it much easier for you to improve the passage. Improve Sentences First It's always a smart idea to start with the simple things first. In this case, it's improving the sentences. Begin with the questions that ask you to replace poorly written sentences with better choices. You've done this before in the sentence improvement section, so it shouldn't be hard for you to do it again. As you work through the sentences, you'll gain an even better grasp of the overall passage. That way, when it comes time for you to strengthen the argument, you'll already be familiar with the passage. Signal Words One of the keys to improving the passage is to effectively employ signal words. There are three types of signal words that tend to be used to strengthen the essays. Contrast Signals are used to contrast two ideas. Contrast Signals include the following transitional words: yet, on the contrary, nevertheless, on the other hand, however, in contrast, despite, although, even though, in spite of, then again... For example, you might take the sentences: "Rob loved baseball. Rob loved basketball even more." Then combine them with a Contrast Signal: "Although Rob loved baseball, he loved basketball even more." This helps to clarify the point the author is trying to make and improve the readability of the passage. Support Signals are used when one part of the essay needs to support or continue the ideas found in another part. Support Signals include the following words: what's more, in addition, furthermore, additionally, moreover, likewise, as well as, besides, also... For example, you might take the sentences: "Randy was overweight. He had a double chin." Then combine them with a Support Signal to form the sentence: "Randy was overweight; what's more, he had a double chin." By doing this you help to support the fact that Randy was overweight by pointing out that he had a double chin. This can help to make the passage clearer and more effective. Cause & Effect Signals are used when one thing or action causes another. Cause & Effect Signals include the following words: because, as a result of, hence, therefore, thus, accordingly, consequently, since, that's why... For example, you might take the sentences: "James was nasty. Everyone disliked James." Then combine them with a Cause & Effect Signal to form the sentence: "James was nasty; consequently, everyone disliked him." As you can see, the cause is that James was nasty, and the effect is that everyone disliked him. This makes the relationship between the sentences much clearer and easier to understand. Test Your Answers It pays to test your answers. When your done answering the questions, make sure to go back and plug the improved sentences into the passage to see if they really work. If they don't work, that can be a red flag that you've made a mistake. If they do work, you can be pretty certain that you chose the right answer.